


School Nemeses 6

by magog_83



Series: School Nemeses [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-04
Updated: 2011-04-04
Packaged: 2017-10-17 14:36:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/177897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magog_83/pseuds/magog_83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin and Arthur are archenemies.  Optimistic young teacher Miss Slater thinks she can do something about that. Modern school!au.  English class.</p>
            </blockquote>





	School Nemeses 6

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Vensre. WIP.

As the bell finished echoing through the hallways Miss Slater pushed open the door to her classroom and hurried inside, dropping the roll of paper and stack of marker pens on her desk and trying not to feel too apprehensive. A few minutes later the door opened and her class filed in, talking loudly amongst themselves. She waited for them to sit down. Then she waited two more minutes for Merlin to arrive, apologising (as usual) and very nearly smacking Arthur’s head with his bag as he made his way to the back (Merlin rarely managed to get him anymore). She perched on her desk and surveyed the class, allowing the noise to die down, before she spoke.

“Good morning class.” There were a few mutters of ‘morning miss’ in return. “As you know it’s only two weeks until our trip to see Macbeth, so,” she smiled round at them all, “I thought that it might be fun to try something a bit different today.” Several students perked up. “As we will be seeing it on stage – as Shakespeare intended – I want us to spend the next few lessons thinking about what that means. How the play might be presented in a theatre. Costumes, set design – what Shakespeare himself might have been imagining when he wrote it.” There were quite a few students listening now, interested. Even Merlin had stopped gazing out of the window when he heard the words ‘set design’ and had dug out a half-chewed pencil from his blazer pocket. She had a feeling he might not be so keen when she had finished. But she was determined, even more so after the success (and she was using the word _very_ loosely) of Monday’s detention. “So I’m going to be giving you all a different scene and a worksheet and I want you to spend today brain-storming some ideas. Really going through the extract you’re given and thinking about it in a theatrical context.” She paused to pick up the roll of paper and began to unroll it. Then she cleared her throat. Twice. “I’ve decided to pair you up for this one, as I think it would be good for you all to work with new people.”

In the middle row Arthur suddenly stopped rolling his pencil back and forth on the desk and stared at her in dawning horror. But that was nothing compared to the look of betrayal Merlin was directing at her from the back. Miss Slater pretended not to notice.

“So I’ll read out the pairs and give each of you a sheet of paper and a marker – and then you have the rest of the lesson to impress me.” She glanced at her list. “Vivian and Sarah, you can have worksheet 1. Paul and Emma, 2. Nick and Tim, 3. Elen and Leon, 4. Merlin and Arthur, 5.” At her words a buzz of conversation broke out across the room, but she ploughed resolutely onwards. “George and Freya, 6...” She carried on through her list, until all the pairings were assigned, before she looked up. Unsurprisingly half the class weren’t looking at her at all, but had turned in their seats to stare at Merlin and Arthur or were busy whispering speculatively to themselves. The two boys in question appeared to have been struck dumb. “That’s all,” said Miss Slater, “Please get into your pairs.”

Merlin finally recovered his voice. “But, miss!”

“This isn’t open to negotiation Merlin,” said Miss Slater, firmly. “Arthur, please go and sit with Merlin.”

“Why do _I_ have to move?” protested Arthur immediately.

“Because Merlin has a spare place at his table and you don’t.” Miss Slater fixed him with a look, “Please hurry up.”

With a completely unnecessary amount of noise and more than a few mutters, Arthur shoved his chair back, stood and marched to the back of the room – dropping heavily into the seat next to Merlin – who had moved his own seat as near to the wall as he could without actually climbing out of the window. There were a few sniggers, quickly cut off when Miss Slater turned her look on the rest of the class. “Thank you,” she said, warning. Turning, she gathered the worksheets, pens and paper and began moving around the classroom – speaking briefly to each pair and dealing with questions. She reached Merlin and Arthur last, to find them still sitting at opposite ends of the table, arms folded and resolutely ignoring one another.

“So,” she began brightly as they reluctantly turned to her, “I’ve given you two Act One, Scene One, the meeting of the three witches. A very atmospheric scene indeed.” She slid the last sheet of sugar paper onto the table along with a black marker pen and the worksheet. “I want you to use this sheet to map out your ideas. Merlin, if you feel like drawing something for one of the questions, feel free.” She smiled at them both encouragingly. “Who’s going to write?”

Merlin made a slightest of movements towards the paper, causing Arthur to whip it out of reach. “I’ll write,” he announced.

“I didn’t know you could,” muttered Merlin.

“What?” snapped Arthur immediately.

“What?” said Merlin, wide eyed.

“There will be none of that, thank you,” Miss Slater quickly cut across. Then, because she was only human and because she had put up with a _lot_ this past week and a half, she added. “Come on, remember how helpful you were being to each other on Monday.”

It had the desired effect. Merlin and Arthur immediately abandoned their mutual staring contest, Merlin grabbing the worksheet and Arthur the pen and both looked mortified as a flurry of whispers broke out once more. With sudden dedication Arthur set about carefully writing ‘Act 1, Scene 1’ along the top of the sheet in thick marker whilst Merlin began flicking through his copy of the play, ears bright red.

Allowing herself a small smile, Miss Slater left them to it, weaving back through the desks and sitting down – giving them fifteen minutes to work quietly amongst themselves whilst she marked a few essays. This proved to be somewhat optimistic when not ten minutes later she looked up to see what looked depressingly like a marker pen tug of war had broken out. She swept back down the room to where Arthur and Merlin were arguing in furious whispers.

“Is there a problem boys?”

With a final tug Arthur succeeded in yanking the pen from Merlin’s grip, Merlin nearly falling off his chair in the process.

Miss Slater waited.

“Uh… no.” Arthur managed as Merlin righted himself, glaring at the side of Arthur’s head.

“Good,” said Miss Slater. “Then you can tell me what you’ve come up with so far.”

Arthur opened and closed his mouth. “Uh… Well… I was just saying that the witches should be dressed as…uh… old women, you know, like a disguise.”

Merlin looked outraged as he hissed, “That was my idea!”

“We’re a team Emrys,” Arthur said loftily. “Your ideas are my ideas.”

 _“Your_ brilliant idea was to put them in pointy hats.”

“No, it wasn’t.” snapped Arthur.

“Yes, it was. You drew a stupid hat on my picture.”

Merlin reached for the large sheet of paper, trying to turn it over but Arthur was faster, throwing his weight over it and trapping Merlin’s hand in the process.

“We had to start again.” Arthur informed Miss Slater, whilst Merlin tried to tug his hand free.

“Yes, because someone _drew_ all over my—”

“It’s called artistic differences, idiot.”

Merlin started shoving at Arthur’s arm. “The difference being that I’m an artist.”

Arthur snorted. “If you can call that…” He came to an abrupt stop, as both he and Merlin suddenly became aware that they were once more the centre of attention.

There was a short silence. Arthur quickly lifted his arm and Merlin pulled his hand free.

“Do you have something you would like to share with the class?” asked Miss Slater sweetly.

“No miss,” muttered Arthur, followed belatedly by Merlin.

“Good,” said Miss Slater. She glanced round at the rest of her pupils, who very rapidly rediscovered their interest in Shakespeare, before turning back to Merlin and Arthur. “Then I suggest you carry on. Unless you want to continue this at lunchtime. Or after school. Or as long as it takes for you two to do it properly and without arguing.”

There was a longer silence this time, during which Miss Slater looked steadily from one to the other, waiting. Then finally, Arthur slid the paper grudgingly back along the table towards Merlin, who in turn moved his chair a whole inch closer, all the while looking faintly ill. Miss Slater raised an eyebrow.

Arthur cleared his throat and managed. “What was question one again?”

Merlin reached for the worksheet, carefully not brushing against Arthur as he did so, and read out, “Why might Shakespeare have chosen this as the opening scene of his play?”

“Right,” said Arthur, and he wrote down ‘Question 1’ on the top of the sheet.

There was yet another silence. Miss Slater settled herself down on a spare chair in front of their desk.

“Well,” said Arthur at last, “it’s the beginning of the story?”

Merlin threw him a withering look.

Arthur scowled. “I mean, it’s the start of the plot. With the witches. And them… being evil. Like,” he frowned down at the desk, “like setting the scene, and all that.”

Miss Slater nodded encouragingly.

Merlin fiddled with the edges of the worksheet. “I suppose it shows that it’s going to be a dark story.”

“Yeah,” said Arthur after a moment, “The witches are… plotting something. And they’re going to find Macbeth.”

“Like they’re setting him up?” put in Merlin.

“I suppose so,” said Arthur.

For a fleeting second, Merlin looked marginally impressed. He smoothed the worksheet out on the desktop carefully and nodded. “Write that down then.” He caught Miss Slater’s eye. “Uh… please.”

Miss Slater smiled at him encouragingly.

* * *

Twenty-five (extremely slow) minutes later Miss Slater thought she had reason to feel just a little bit smug as she looked at the twelve completed sheets arrayed on the classroom wall. She beamed round at her class.

“Well done all of you! I’m really pleased with how well you’ve worked today.” She shifted her gaze briefly to Merlin and Arthur who, admittedly, looked like they’d just undergone rigorous torture. “I know sometimes it can be difficult working with new people.” Arthur looked very pointedly at Merlin, who ignored him to duck down under the table for his schoolbag. “But as I’m sure you’ve found, there’s nothing quite like teamwork for helping you to develop your ideas and learn from each other.” She allowed herself a tiny (satisfied) pause. “No doubt we will do this again very soon.” At this Merlin’s head briefly re-appeared above the desk, wearing a horrified expression. “Thank you for your hard work today, all of you,” Miss Slater finished as the bell began to ring, “Anyway there’s the bell –so off you go!”

With a scrape of chairs her pupils stood up, shoving books in bags as a buzz of conversation broke out. At the back of the room Merlin emerged from under the table, stood, and swung his bag onto his shoulder, moving past Arthur with a polite “excuse me,” that caused Miss Slater to smile her approval.

That was until Arthur stood up to follow and fell flat on his face — because Merlin had tied his shoelace to the chair-leg.

The End


End file.
